Man bitten by snake 45 minutes after killing it

PublishedFriday, January 17, 2014

A man in Australia was bitten by a venomous red-bellied black snake 45 minutes after slicing it in half with a shovel, according to Geobeats.

Jake Thomas, 66, a volunteer at Werris Creek cemetery, was mowing the grass when he noticed the snake on a vase on top of a headstone. Fearing it would harm or scare visitors, he figured he'd kill it with the shovel, geobeats says.

After finishing his work, he returned for the remains of the snake. When he stuck his hand in the vase, he felt it latch on to his hand, and when he pulled it out, he noticed two bite marks.

He was taken to a hospital for anti-venom treatment.

"My hand swelled up for a week, I won't be going near a snake dead or alive for a long time now," he said.

Experts say a snake can keep its bite reflex for up to an hour after death.